Most Deming residents are going to find themselves in a tough position if they have issues when the city of Deming finalizes its latest comprehensive plan.
Four residents, aside from the "stake-holders," as city administrator Richard McInturff previously labeled, were in attendance at the Nov. 19 community input meeting held at the Special Events Center. The meeting was called to give residents an opportunity to weigh in on the document, which will become a road map for city projects and the overall direction of the municipality, including issues such as economic development, infrastructure and needs.
"I like the desert landscape. I think it's something we need to work on because water is so scarce," local resident Virginia Marcak said. "I also would like to see them pull on the history of the buildings."
Marcak and Vera Nash, a resident who took part in the discussion, each agreed out-of-state property owners should maintain clean, aesthetically pleasing properties.
"Whole little streets are like ghost towns," Nash added, noting the city should not be responsible for cleaning and maintaining privately-owned property.
While all locals may impact economic development and other issues, the term stake-holders was applied to those with direct ties to local organizations, such as Deming MainStreet, Corre Caminos transit system, Deming-Luna County Chamber of Commerce and Mimbres Memorial Hospital, among others.
McInturff spoke on many infrastructure-related issues and said the city is "just now opening the crack on drainage." He also discussed courting solar energy producers as a means of economic development. He argued that the SunZia Transmission Line project is necessary to provide local infrastructure to transport any future power developed by alternative means to market.
Councilor Bill Shattuck pointed to improvements in Deming he likes, such as increased entertainment possibilities at the Starmax movie theater and bowling alley, located at North Country Club Road and the economic benefits of the renovation at Mimbres Memorial Hospital. The hospital is adding additional emergency room suites and other improvements.
Areas of concern, according the Shattuck and his brainstorming table which discussed topics during a group planning exercise, include the aesthetics of the city north of Interstate 10 and the local workforce. The group labeled the workforce as "untrained, unskilled and unmotivated."
Shattuck, while presenting his group's discussion, argued a diversified "workforce base" will help attract industry to Deming. Development will help attract Deming Public School graduates who leave town to pursue higher education degrees back to the city, he added.
The event was held by the city and Sites Southwest, an Albuquerque-based firm that was contracted to help compile the plan. The city council will consider final approval of the plan at a later date.
Matt Robinson can be reached at
mrobinson@demingheadlight.com
